'Our life is in danger': Unemployment hits 34% in Hawaii with no end in sight

[Demovictory9]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/05/10/hawaii-coronavirus-travel-restrictions-trigger-record-unemployment/3093887001/


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For 32 years, Julie Gabot drove more than 80 miles round trip each day to work as a housekeeper at the Sheraton Waikiki, cleaning after tourists who enjoyed the resort's infinity pool and beachfront views.

But after tourism across Hawaii shutdown because of the coronavirus virus, she was let go without severance. Her husband, who worked at the resort for 28 years, was out also out of a job.

Suddenly, Gabot, 62, had two elderly relatives to care for, two adult children to feed at home and no income coming in. For the first time in her life, she's leaning on a local food bank, depending on friends to stand in the hours-long line for groceries and then sharing their bounty with her. When she cooks for her family these days, she's careful not to waste any food.

"Our life is in danger because, of course, we don't know what will happen," she said. "There's no real hope for good things in the future."

Hawaii is facing it's highest unemployment rate ever as strict stay-at-home orders and a virtual shutdown of the state's once mighty tourism industry have left residents reeling, leaning on their savings or unable to pay rent and feed their families. Since March, the state's unemployment rate has soared from 3% to 34%, one of the highest in the nation.

The pain has been widespread, with charities encountering unprecedented requests for food and assistance and small business owners grappling with plummeting profits. The state's struggles to keep up with unemployment claims even prompted some residents to come out and threaten violence against state workers.

[sakabatou]

1. One wonders how many people will die, not because of the virus

But because people cannot get food, housing, medicine.

[Worried2020]

2. I think we are in the worst Depression man has ever experienced,

but most of us haven't grasped that yet.

There will be no "bouncing back".

If we are lucky,

we may crawl back.

W

[DFW]

3. Without the income from tourism, Hawai'i is essentially poverty-stricken

They will need lots of help and fast.

[Cha]

4. Yes, it is so scary and sad for all these People in the

Tourism Trade in Hawaii!

Wishing them the Best for their unemployment Claims!

[beachbumbob]

5. we have to understand "normal" will not return, not now, not in foreseeable future. Many jobs

and businesses will never come back.

With Govt made ineffective by trump and GOP, little change in course even when Biden takes over as the problems will be the worse any new admin ever faced, including FDR and Obama. So much action is needed on so many levels. With a generational presence of batshit crazy federal judges, the fight will be years to overcome.

We are all living with the consequences of an election in 2016

[uponit7771]

6. 2 trillion a year would give every working person 2k a month. The feds have spent more of that in

... a week promising Wall Street they're going to buy junk bond ETFs !!

OMG, how close to a text book socialist country does the US need to be?!